Returning Lost Property Abroad
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Question
I am in a rental apartment abroad (international rental) and someone left a coat. Is it permissible to take it?
Answer
Hello,
The mitzvah of returning lost property applies in a place where most people are Jewish. Only for the sake of sanctifying God's name should one return lost property to a non-Jew.
Assuming that most renters are not Jewish, it is hard to believe that you could ascertain who the owner of the coat is, and whether it would be worthwhile for them to retrieve it. There is no halachic issue in this case.
[The answer only addresses the halachic issue and does not pertain to the law in the discussed country].
Source
Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat, Siman 359, סעיף 3).